Ranked as the third biggest Australian island after Tasmania and Melville Island, Kangaroo Island is a fascinating place slightly removed from the continent’s southern-central coast. It is a naturally wondrous island brimming with activities and stunning vistas located no more than 13 kilometers from Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, no more than a quick ferry ride that visitors will be sure not to regret.
One of the neat details about Kangaroo Island is its natural preservation: indeed, roughly half the island has never been cleared of vegetation, and there are scores of nature reserves and similar protected habitats and wildlife sanctuaries across its extension. Among these, visitors will surely stumble across the Ravine des Casoars Wilderness Protection Area, the Cape Bouguer Wilderness Protection Area, the Flinders Chase National Park, and the Seal Bay Conservation Park.
Visitors to the island will easily find activities to keep them entertained for a good many days, with the breathtaking natural vistas serving as the principal highlight in this regard. Among the most impressive natural phenomena on the island are the many peculiar and imposing rock formations that dot the island, with a magnificent example to be found along the cliffs of Flinders Chase National Park.
The stunning rock formations aren’t only worth a look from the outside, however, as Kangaroo Island has some wonderful cave complexes that are well worth a tour. Visitors can descend into the caverns of the Kelly Hill Caves on a regular tour or, for the more daring, there’s the option of signing up for an adventure tour that is limited to tinier groups.
Another option that many visitors find to be truly fascinating is to merely watch the penguins on Kangaroo Island make their evening walk, waddling from the sea up to their nighttime resting spots on the shore and rock ledges. The Penguin Centre of Kingscote can arrange for tours to see this peculiar event as well as to stop by their world-class aquarium which is full of amazing marine species.
Another excellent getaway while on Kangaroo Island is Little Sahara, a stunning desert which may be a place to catch a sighting of the island’s namesake animal. Heading out on 4x4s and perhaps doing a little dune-boarding while out in the desert, this is just another possibility to gain yet another perspective on the island’s incomparable beauty.
Then again, many people make a point of trying out the pure Ligurian honey at one of the several bee farms throughout the island. Ligurian bees were originally brought to Kangaroo in the late 1800s and now it is the only place on the planet where the Ligurian bee species has been kept pure, free from cross-breeding. At places such as Cliffords Honey Farm visitors will get the chance to observe this unique species, try their wonderful honey and see more stunning natural surrounds.
And then finally the island offers several old (yet still functioning) lighthouses such as the Cape Willoughby lighthouse, the first in South Australia, and the Cape Borda lighthouse, both dating back to the 1850s. An interesting stop on any day trip, they are well worth a visit and offer commanding views of the island.
For Kangaroo Island accommodation options, visitors will find many options from cheap backpacker digs to fancier retreats and resorts. Most are mid-range hotels and motels, and are surrounded by the stunning natural wonders of this paradise-like island.
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